HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Forced relocations

Revulsion over child rape

Forced relocations

Sir,
How would Wisoot Buachoom, director of Mae Hong Son Tourism Coordination Centre, like it if someone decreed that he and his family should be uprooted from their home and moved somewhere else so that he could become a tourist attraction?
I was planning a trip to Mae Hong Son on my next visit to Chiang Mai in January 2007. But if Mae Hong Son’s tourist industry thinks it is right to arbitrarily move Karen hill tribe families for the sake of me and my camera, I have to say, I’m not interested!
David J Fallows

Revulsion over child rape

Dear Editor,
I am writing regarding an article in your February 11th edition concerning an Australian national who was charged with rape of a little two year old girl here in Chiangmai. I like all your readers was horrified by the story; I sent copies of your newspaper to Amanda Vanstone the Australian Minister for Immigration, the Queensland Minister for
Police, the Australian Ambassador to Thailand and two national newspapers in Australia. All asking the same questions, how was it he was allowed to leave Australia when there was a warrant out for his arrest in the Australian state of Queensland? The warrant was for the offence of raping a four year old girl. It angered me to think he was allowed to come to Thailand and commit the same crime. The second question was, will he serve a sentence in Thailand before being sent back to Australia?
The replies were a bit late coming, all saying more or less the same thing, which was the matter is being looked into, and I could not be told all the facts! Although they did say he would have to serve his sentence in Thailand before being deported. The reason for him being allowed to leave Australia, was as I was told by Senator Christopher Ellison, the Australian Minister for Justice and Customs, that the Queensland Police never notified the Australian Federal Police of the warrant out for his arrest, which meant they could not stop him leaving the country!
It makes you wonder how many sex offenders and other criminals we have in Thailand, as it seems so easy to leave Australia after committing a crime. I would have thought in this computer age it would not be too difficult for any State in Australia to inform their Immigration Department of criminals who might flee the country!
I wonder too if any compensation has been paid to the poor lady and her little girl. I guess that’s just too much to ask.
Derrick Titmus

Automania | News | Business News Book-Movies-Music | Columns | Community | Happenings
Dining Out & Entertainment | Features | Academia Nuts | Letters | Social Scene | Sports Travel

Chiangmai Mail Publishing Co. Ltd.
209/5 Moo 6, T.Faham,
A.Muang, Chiang Mai 50000
Tel. 0 5385 2557 Fax. 0 5326 0738
e-mail: cnxmail@chiangmai-mail.com
www.chiangmai-mail.com
Administration: md@chiangmai-mail.com
Advertising: advertising@chiangmai-mail.com
sales@chiangmai-mail.com
Subscription: subscription@chiangmai-mail.com

Copyright © 2004 Chiangmai Mail. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.